Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Well, it's been a while! The contractors working on the shop are about 3 weeks behind, but still are loads of details that need addressing. Into a normal pattern soon, I hope. In the meanwhile, let's look at furniture styles for that Bohemian vibe.

Great mix of decades

When we are looking to furnish a room for a particular feel, it's best to understand the era or decade that you want to emulate. In the case of Bohemian, the era started in the late 1840's with the Pre-Raphaelite painters who were influenced by romanticism, medieval culture and the natural world. They used bright color and sharp focus techniques to counteract muddy darkness, which they despised. This era ran right into the Art Nouveau movement starting in the 1890's in which inspiration was gathered from natural forms, structures, flowers, plants and curved lines. You can easily see that in the examples below:

Curvy lines of Art Nouveau

Sexy brass ware on the doors

Lovely color and swags under the apron

Flowers and curvy lines

The ultimate in Art Nouveau design

Loads of reproductions were manufactured over the years, look in thrift and consignment stores for pieces that mimic the design.

Just to add confusion to the mix, the Arts and Craft movement was spreading across England at the same time, you know, William Morris and his contemporaries. Even though it's a more severe look, it still has a place in a Bohemian inspired room.

Arts and Craft inspired room

Are you getting the point that you could use just about any vintage or older style furnishings in Boho/Bohemian decorating? You're catching on......The Art Nouveau and Arts and Craft movements roughly left at the same time Art Deco was ushered in after WWI and into the 1930's, think Chrysler and Empire State Buildings and industrial manufacturing:

My own French Deco china hutch

Skyscraper inspired chair

Hercule Poirot would be comfy here

Gorgeous color, almost SW in design

Clean lines in this tall foyer piece

Stacked building inspired desk or dressing table

See the difference? Clean lines, industrial feeling, think Nora and Nick Charles of the Thin Man series. Martinis and chi-chi parties, socialites, movie stars and a new monied era, until it came crashing down in the 20's! Again, loads of reproductions if not under-valued pieces out there, keep your eyes open. Any of these pieces would be a wonderful focal point to a Boho inspired decor.

Well, that's just a quick overview of styles from the Bohemian decades and we're not even addressing Middle Eastern influences, Scandinavian pieces, Latin American possibilities and the thrift movement of the 1960's hippie culture, that's another article!As always, any picture not attributed is from the beloved Pinterest. Drop me a note and let me know what furniture you have in your Boho inspired room, I'd love to hear from you.

Friday, February 21, 2014

I haven't posted in about a month, time flies when your having fun! I am in the process of opening a retail furniture consignment store, loads of work to do, but I can hardly wait. The contractors are about 2 weeks behind schedule, but I still am working on an April 1st door opening! We shall see!

Here is the new store the first day at lease signing!

While I'm waiting until the next onslaught happens, I have to comment on this winter weather we've been having in the northeast. It is raining this morning, on top of 3 feet of snow on the roof and 6 feet on the ground. Luckily, no flooding for us, but loads of water in the streets. Should freeze solid tonight and make for an interesting day tomorrow!

But in the winter, our thoughts always wander to warmer weather. I thought of how clever some people are with their outside spaces in the summer months. Let's get some inspiration, shall we?

Truly an oasis

A summer house like this could make me stay home

Love the Turkish lanterns

Al fresco dining at it's best

Not really outdoor, but would work just the same

Can you say Provence?

Lovely reading spot on the balcony

Conservatory or under the eaves, it still works for me

Beach side bliss

Wow, lighting is stupendous!

Love the fabric on the pillows and the bamboo shade cloth

How about a space just between buildings?

On the deck

Garden retreat complete with Indian umbrella

Summer house perfection

I'm at a loss for words…..

Picnic under an olive tree…..

Riverside in the summer

Glamping

Under a porch roof like this, I could sip tea and dream

Outdoor showers count, right?

Fairy lights in the meadow

Fairy lights in the drive

Fairy lights in the pavers

Capiz shells on the ceiling for summer breezes

Add a false wall with a window to your deck….

Wow, inspiration aplenty! All these pix were found after hours of pouring through Pinterest. Share some with us in the comments, let us know how you will fix a space for yourself this summer!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

I have seen some amazing design oriented projects over the years. I've seen cherubs painted on ceilings, huge taxidermy animals in foyers, a red velvet round bed in a master bedroom and once I saw live models as wallpaper. Lately I seen all kinds of vehicle photos where someone had a lot of time and/or money on their hands. I'm not talking about those Indian Taxis we all know about. If you don't know them here is a couple of pictures:

Bride-to-be in all her finery.

Boho taxi

Love them in the movie "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". No, I'm talking about regular rides. I included some trailers, those count as rides, don't they? Check these out:

Airstream luxury on the road

French-style Bohemian

Anyone for Glamping?

No more boring ride!

Love the traditional Gypsy wagon

Rolls Royce Phantom 1 1926

My kind of Chevy!

So you see, fellow Bohemian design lovers, the ideas do not stop at the doorstep. True lovers of the gendre find any way possible to add a little Boho into their lives!

Have any pix of a Boho ride? Tell me about it in the comments below and I'll share your pic!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

I just finished a re-do in a rental apartment, bland white everything. Everything was clean and tidy, just white, bland and no personality! The renter (my client) is camera shy, so I found a picture on my go-to Pinterest to give you an idea.

Lovely vintage but boring white bathroom

The obvious choice for this color-restricted renter was the shower curtain and mat. As I was shopping around for gorgeous choices, there weren't any. That I liked anyway. The retail stores were full of the usual choices. So what's a savvy decorator to do but go online! I found this marvelous site that I had used for labels and wall art in the past, Cafe Press. Check out some of their offerings:

Jewel tone heaven

Love the Celtic influences

Mod city wall art

Ribbons and spots

Fantasyland

Hungarian flowers

These are the regular type of nylon shower curtain that is easily hung up with rings on a shower bar. But the patterns are fabulous! I typed in "Bohemian" in the select category bar and it said over 160 choices! Don't forget the memory foam bath mats to mix and match. Thousands to pick from in all different gendre. I'm thinking I may put up one over my glass shower doors, just 'cause!Note: I am not getting any compensation from Cafe Press, I just wanted to share a wonderful resource for those that need color in a basic bathroom without permanently changing the blah.Have fun shopping the site and let me know which ones are favorites by leaving a comment!

About Me

My name is Michelle Raymond and I've been in the design field for over 25 years. I love design and incorporating beautiful things into everyday life. Design work is my passion.
I specialize in the selection of the perfect color, artwork and accessories for a space. One of my services I enjoy most is helping people downsize their homes; incorporating old cherished pieces into their new space while adding in new, modern twists.